Portobelo - Not Always a Mushroom!

 Portobelo - Not Always a Mushroom!

The locals tell us that when Christopher Columbus sailed into this bay he cried, “Port o’ Belo,” which means Port of Beauty and the name stuck.  Makes me wonder how a mushroom came by the same name??? 😳

To be honest, we weren’t sure about this town at first.  There was unrest in the air and the main part of town felt crowded and dirty.  Needing to borrow wifi so I could recharge my data plan - still haven’t mastered this - we stumbled into a building marked “turista” and met a man named Able.  He kindly offered to show us around, which meant he escorted us to all of his relatives’ establishments - drumming up business for them. But it was obvious he is a kind man as locals called out to him and he made small talk with them in between giving us a history lesson on his town.  

Portabelo was first established as a large shipping port and it’s history is full of tales of pirate invasions. Evidence of the old forts that were erected to protect the village and the trade center, can be seen in the picture above (behind the sun-kissed goofballs) and below. 

 Not only goods were traded here but also people and at one point many of the slaves escaped into the jungle to start their own communities. Over time, their descendants have made Portabelo home and rich in the Congo culture.  It is evident in the art, food and the names of establishments. Able is one such descent, and through his eyes we saw a very different Portabelo than that of our first impression. We would love to return for one of the festivals that lets the Congo culture shine. 

Able also had a relative with a boat and before we knew it were headed out to enjoy a Caribbean beach for the afternoon.  The sand was soft, water fine and the people happy. An unusual feature was a giant tree that had fallen over the water. The part of the tree on land was alive and well while that over the water had died away and was transformed into a natural playground that children (and Julie) used as an impromptu diving board. I would love to leave you with the impression of Julie gracefully swan diving into the bay but in reality it was an awkward ker-plunk as she tried to not get slivers in her backside.  Luckily there are no photos of this event.

We were entertained by huge pelicans snacking at the all-you-can-eat buffet. They would fly about 20 feet over the bay, then swoop down and dive-bomb into the water with a big splash.  Returning to the surface, they would contemplate their selection for a minute and then stretch their long neck up to swallow their catch of the day whole.  Minutes later, these large, cumbersome birds would take flight and nest in a large tree until the next snack attack. 

As if this place wasn’t interesting enough, there is a buried castle on the banks of this bay.  We were told that “the Americans” investigated by dropping torches down the inside but gained no information as they disappeared into darkness.  No one has been brave enough to descend into the castle and burrowing into it likely will end in its destruction.  So it quietly sits, guarding its secrets - is there treasure buried there? It’s certainly possible given the history of this area. 

The trip home was a harrowing ordeal.  The Waze program attempted to help us bypass a traffic jam by leading us down a road big enough for one lane of traffic on which cars, busses and trucks were going both ways,  This road zigzagged through a residential neighborhood where Kirby not only dodged oncoming traffic but pot holes and shoulder drop-offs that could break an axel, as well as dogs and even venders pushing carts of snacks for sale in the middle of the road. To say we needed a beer when we arrived home is an understatement. Luckily our neighbor Ivan and his wife invited us over and we decompressed in their man cave in the open air space beneath their home. Yet again, we’re very glad to be back in Gamboa!  😁